The field of solar power has become very important. Solar power systems can be installed in huge seas as well as for individual residential and commercial usage. These individual systems can supply power to an underlying structure, and can also supply excess power into the grid or the like. For individual systems, it is not uncommon to locate these systems on the roofs of buildings. These roofs can be angled roofs or flat roofs. In many commercial applications a flat roof is frequently encountered and the solar panel system is placed on the roof itself.
In order to remain economic, it is not only important that individual solar panels or the like produce a significant amount of power, but it can also be important that both the materials and structures by reasonably priced, and that the actual installation be achieved without too much difficulty. In addition, when solar power systems are placed on the roof, it can become important, such as the event of fire or the like, that this solar power system does not unduly interfere with firefighting operations or the like. Thus, in presenting solar power systems for roof mount or other surface mount installations, it can be important to present both and efficiently installed and purchased systems as well as a system that can accommodate the needs of emergency personnel.
Several aspects can be important in this regard. First, with respect to the emergency aspect, it can be important to permit emergency personnel to be able to immediately release and dispatch at least portions of the solar power system to be able to provide access to larger areas of the roof or the like. This can need to occur under adverse conditions such as smoke, fire, rain, wind, or at nighttime.
Removing solar panels or the like can be particularly challenging when the solar power systems are designed to produce electrical power. By the very nature of many photovoltaic systems, if they are used in daylight, there is power. This can be challenging for emergency personnel as it is undesirable for them during firefighting or other operations to be exposed to live electrical wires.
The perspective of initial installation of the solar power system is also important in the overall economics of this field. For instance, while solar power systems are bought from manufacturers who frequently make individual complements, a separate installer is frequently employed to actually site, locate, and connect collective of power componentry that makes a roof mount or other solar power system. Installers, of course, have differing degrees of capabilities. In addition, the initial cost of the system should not be increased significantly for simply the action of installing it on a pre-existing roof or other surface. Furthermore, the cost of the solar panels and other such componentry itself is significant enough that the cost of an underlying structure, should not be so large as to greatly increase the cost of the overall system. As may be imagined, there is constant pressure to make underlying structures and indeed the entire solar power system, less expensive. Thus, small amounts of savings can add up and are desired. Beyond the cost of the system, the actual labor of installation is also in focus. The more time an installer needs to spend on a roof or other area installing individual componentry, the more expensive the overall system is to a user. Thus, it is desirable to reduce the cost of not only the componentry involved, but also to reduce the cost of the installation labor. This can occur, most significantly, by reducing the amount of the labor needed to achieve the installation. Thus, it is desirable to present solar power systems that take less time to install, that cost less to purchase, and that provide for the needs of emergency situations and emergency personnel.